Coconut Cake Recipe – Desiccated Coconut Cake

Simple Coconut Cake Recipe – Desiccated Coconut Cake Recipe

Coconut is such a versatile flavor and can be used in savory or sweet dishes. This simple, easy and effortless coconut cake recipe makes a delicious cake using desiccated coconut from scratch that you can whip in five minutes. It tastes great unfrosted as a coffee cake, served with whipped cream for a light dessert or use some decadent buttercream for a more indulgent treat or celebration cake.

Baking from scratch

You know I’m a person that ALWAYS bakes from scratch and I’ve been on a mission to get everyone around me to bake from scratch. Why?

Well, mostly because it’s so EASY!! The little brain inside me always says – I baked my first solo cake when I was 10 (well my mom was a good baker) so it’s not hard to bake from scratch.

In an attempt to get people to bake from scratch and enjoy it; I started this series of one bowl cakes and cupcakes. It’s been going really well so far. Have had many of you enjoy baking these cakes and love the recipes. So yay!!

Do feel free to comment and let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Which is your favorite and what you love most about this cake? Thanks

Butter – I always use butter at room temperature but if you want a vegan version – you can use the same amount of margarine in the recipe.

Coconut Milk / Milk – I like to add coconut milk as it enhances the flavor of the cake but if you want you can add regular milk. Almond milk works too.

Coconut Extract – It does add a nice flavor but you can just substitute it with vanilla extract as well.

Desiccated Coconut – This is shredded dry coconut and is not the same as coconut flour or coconut sugar. Coconut flour is just the dried coconut fiber after removing all the coconut milk. So please usedesiccated coconut which has all the flavor of coconut. And use the unsweetened variety as the cake as the required amount of sugar.

If you are like me then you must love indulgent desserts and by now you know I love making rich desserts. So here’s a very rich and creamy coconut filling that you will love. Makes just enough for a single layer filling

This is our family favorite!! No frosting – just a cup of tea

One of the disadvantages of being a cake decorator’s family is that you’ve been around so much frosting that you can’t stand the sight of it anymore. Those of you that bake for a living know exactly what I mean.

Coconut Cake Recipe One Bowl Recipe Baking from Scratch Series

Coconut is such a versatile flavor and can be used in savory or sweet dishes. This simple, easy and effortless coconut cake recipe makes a delicious cake from scratch that you can whip in five minutes. It tastes great unfrosted as a coffee cake, served with whipped cream for a light dessert or some decadent buttercream for a more indulgent treat or celebration cake.

Love cake? Want more cake recipes?

Take a look at some of the most delicious cake recipes I have for you on this blog. All recipes are tried and tested. Whether you looking for a simple one bowl vanilla cake recipe, a fruit-flavored recipe for spring or luxurious recipe with decadent frostings. I’m sure you will find something you will love. Alternatively, take a look at my Recipe Index to see a list of all recipes on this blog.

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About Veena Azmanov

Veena Azmanov is a professional Cake Artist and Food Enthusiast. The Founder, Editor, Creator and Recipe Developer on this blog. Follow her cake and food journey on this blog as she explores new and classic recipes with a twist.

Comments

Hi Veena! This is the first recepie I tried. It’s excellent! So rich and flavorful. Thank you for sharing! I made this cake using gluten free flower plus a pinch of xanthan gum. And I topped it with loads of fresh shredded coconut. And you right, no frosting is needed. It’s perfect as it is. My favorite now! Thank you again!

Ah.. Awesome Thank you, Olga. So happy to hear that. I will try that when I need to make a gluten-free cake for a friend. Thank you so much for coming back to write this feedback. Appreciate it very much.

Frency, commercially we get desiccated coconut – it’s fresh dry coconut powder. But, you can use freshly grated coconut – the will be tastier as well. The coconut has a lesser shelf life but so may be no more than 3 days.

Hi there. Thank you for this recipe. I have cake flour instead of coconut flour. Is it okay to sub out the reg flour for this one? Will it change the cake? Also wanted to make a mirror glaze for it (felling ambitious 🙂 ) Any thoughts. Ty

Soroya, there is no coconut flour in the recipe, just desiccated coconut which is what makes this a coconut cake. If you substitute that with regular flour you will be making a vanilla cake with coconut flavoring. You can make a mirror glaze but after you frost it with some frosting and smooth it out

Thanks very much Veena for a simple and not too sweet cake recipe. It was delicious! It was really easy to make – my 9 year old son did most of the work. Only comment is that it only yielded 12 servings, rather than 16.

I just took this cake out of the oven and, oh, it smells absolutely divine! Mine did not turn out as dark as yours, probably due to my oven, but it is picture perfect! Perfect domed top, lovely light brown color and just a gorgeous looking cake! I’ll make the buttercream frosting once it cools, but I have to say, this is a lovely, easy, one bowl winner of a coconut cake! I am so delighted I stumbled onto your site! Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe, that will become a family cherished favorite!

Thank you so much Anne. So happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe. I one this recipe very much too. If it not too dark that’s fine I do like a lite color baked cake. Probably the oven for sure. Thank you so much for coming back to write this feedback. I love getting feedback on my recipes. Appreciate it very much.

I love coconut whether it’s in cake or in piña colada–in everything! I grew up in an Island and was always surrounded by coconut trees. I will definitely do this recipe this week. Thank you for sharing! Can’t wait to try it!

Hi there . I hope that you are well. Thanks for all the yummy recipes thus far. Can you please tell me what is “coconut extras” as requested for in the ingredients above .Also can one use normal butter instead of unsalted butter and just omit the salt .will really appreciate the feedback …I cant wait to bake this .God bless

Hi Nicole. It’s coconut extract !! Sorry a bit of type error. It enhances the flavor but if you want you can just omit the coconut extract. You can definitely use normal salted butter and then omit the salt in the recipe. Thanks

Hello, I’d like to make this but I’m not sure what desiccated coconut is. When I Googled it, it looks like there’s a variety of ways you can buy it…sweetened or unsweetened, flaked or shredded, coarse or fine. Would you please let me know what you suggest? Thank you!

Oh really? now a days we do so many confusing options don’t we?
Well, desiccated coconut – This is shredded dry coconut and is not the same as coconut flour or coconut sugar. Coconut flour is just the dried coconut fiber after removing all the coconut milk. So please use[easyazon_link identifier="B00OO5VY98" locale="US" tag="vesarofca-20"]desiccated coconut[/easyazon_link] which has all the flavor of coconut. And use the unsweetened variety as the cake as the required amount of sugar. Hope this helps

Thank you so much Pene.. So happy to hear you are trying so many of my recipes with success. Love that!! thank you so much for your feedback. Makes my day!! Yeah I know what you mean.. but the coconut milk just takes it to that next level from good to wow I think!! Enjoy

Sorry hun. Will have to look for an Eggless Coconut cake recipes. Haven’t tested any eggless version yet.I do have an eggless vanilla cake which can be used as a base for this recipe (replace 1/2 the flour with desiccated coconut) but since I still have not tested it cant’ say for sure. You are welcome to try and let us know what happens.

.I believe live yogurt can replace eggs… but not sure of quantity. I replace the butter in the cake with olive oil… works out fine. Thank you Veena for your excellent recipe. Today will be the third time I’ve made this delicious cake successfully!!

Thank you Georgia. So happy you’ve had great success with this recipe. Thank for coming back to write this feedback.
Yes, yogurt does work as a great substitute for eggs but I have not tried it yet so can’t say if it will work or not.
When you change too many things in a recipe you got to be careful that you keep the basic formula same.